Electronic Device With Millimeter Wave Antennas

ABSTRACT

An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more antennas. The antennas may include phased antenna arrays each of which includes multiple antenna elements. Phased antenna arrays may be mounted along edges of a housing for the electronic device, behind a dielectric window such as a dielectric logo window in the housing, in alignment with dielectric housing portions at corners of the housing, or elsewhere in the electronic device. A phased antenna array may include arrays of patch antenna elements on dielectric layers separated by a ground layer. A baseband processor may distribute wireless signals to the phased antenna arrays at intermediate frequencies over intermediate frequency signal paths. Transceiver circuits at the phased antenna arrays may include upconverters and downconverters coupled to the intermediate frequency signal paths.

This application is a continuation of patent application Ser. No.16/138,881, filed on Sep. 21, 2018, which is a continuation of patentapplication Ser. No. 15/499,745, filed on Apr. 27, 2017, which is acontinuation of patent application Ser. No. 15/097,868, filed on Apr.13, 2016, which claims the benefit of provisional patent application No.62/149,430, filed Apr. 17, 2015, which are incorporated by referenceherein in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, toelectronic devices with wireless communications circuitry.

Electronic devices often include wireless communications circuitry. Forexample, cellular telephones, computers, and other devices often containantennas and wireless transceivers for supporting wirelesscommunications.

It may be desirable to support wireless communications in millimeterwave communications bands. Millimeter wave communications, which aresometimes referred to as extremely high frequency (EHF) communications,involve communications at frequencies of about 10-400 GHz. Operation atthese frequencies may support high bandwidths, but may raise significantchallenges. For example, millimeter wave communications are typicallyline-of-sight communications and can be characterized by substantialattenuation during signal propagation.

It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide electronic deviceswith improved wireless communications circuitry such as communicationscircuitry that supports millimeter wave communications.

SUMMARY

An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. Thewireless circuitry may include one or more antennas. The antennas mayinclude phased antenna arrays each of which includes multiple antennaelements. The phased antenna arrays may be used to handle millimeterwave wireless communications and may perform beam steering operations.

Phased antenna arrays may be mounted along edges of a housing for theelectronic device, behind a dielectric logo or other antenna window in arear face of the housing, may be mounted in alignment with dielectrichousing portions at corners of a housing, or may be incorporatedelsewhere in an electronic device. A baseband processor may distributewireless signals to the phased antenna arrays at intermediatefrequencies over intermediate frequency signal paths. Transceivercircuits at the phased antenna arrays may include upconverters anddownconverters coupled to the intermediate frequency signal paths. Thisarrangement allows path losses to be minimized by distributing signalsto the phased antenna arrays at intermediate frequencies and locallyconverting the intermediate frequency signals to radio-frequency signalsfor the antennas.

A phased antenna array may include one or more arrays of patch antennaelements. With one suitable arrangement, a phased antenna array may havefirst and second patch antenna arrays supported by dielectric layersthat are separated by an interposed ground layer. Transceiver circuitcomponents may be mounted to one of the dielectric layers to form anintegral antenna array and transceiver circuit module. This type ofphased antenna array may be mounted at the corners of an electronicdevice housing and may operate through the front and rear surfaces ofthe device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device withwireless communications circuitry in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device withwireless communications circuitry in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic deviceshowing illustrative locations at which antenna arrays for millimeterwave communications may be located in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an illustrative electronic device with wirelesscircuitry that allows radio-frequency signals to be distributed tophased antenna arrays in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an illustrative electronic device with wirelesscircuitry that includes intermediate frequency signal paths fordistributing antenna signals within the device in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how an intermediate frequency signal may beshared among multiple radio-frequency transceivers each of which iscoupled to a respective antenna element in a phased antenna array inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how intermediate frequency signals may bedistributed individually to each of the antennas in an antenna arrayover parallel intermediate frequency signal paths in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how antenna signals may be distributed usinga ring-shaped signal distribution topology in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an illustrative integrated phasedantenna array in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the illustrative integrated phased antennaarray of FIG. 9 in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side view of another illustrative integrated phased antennaarray in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view of a corner portion of anillustrative electronic device in which a phased antenna array has beenmounted in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram of a portion of a phased antenna array having adipole antenna in accordance with an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An electronic device such as electronic device 10 of FIG. 1 may containwireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or moreantennas. The antennas may include phased antenna arrays that are usedfor handling millimeter wave communications. Millimeter wavecommunications, which are sometimes referred to as extremely highfrequency (EHF) communications, involve signals at 60 GHz or otherfrequencies between about 10 GHz and 400 GHz. If desired, device 10 mayalso contain wireless communications circuitry for handling satellitenavigation system signals, cellular telephone signals, local wirelessarea network signals, near-field communications, light-based wirelesscommunications, or other wireless communications.

Electronic device 10 may be a computing device such as a laptopcomputer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tabletcomputer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld orportable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wrist-watchdevice, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a deviceembedded in eyeglasses or other equipment worn on a user's head, orother wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer displaythat does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, anavigation device, an embedded system such as a system in whichelectronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile,equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of thesedevices, or other electronic equipment. In the illustrativeconfiguration of FIG. 1, device 10 is a portable device such as acellular telephone, media player, tablet computer, or other portablecomputing device. Other configurations may be used for device 10 ifdesired. The example of FIG. 1 is merely illustrative.

As shown in FIG. 1, device 10 may include a display such as display 14.Display 14 may be mounted in a housing such as housing 12. Housing 12,which may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or case, may beformed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g.,stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or acombination of any two or more of these materials. Housing 12 may beformed using a unibody configuration in which some or all of housing 12is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed usingmultiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or morestructures that form exterior housing surfaces, etc.).

Display 14 may be a touch screen display that incorporates a layer ofconductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensorcomponents (e.g., resistive touch sensor components, acoustic touchsensor components, force-based touch sensor components, light-basedtouch sensor components, etc.) or may be a display that is nottouch-sensitive. Capacitive touch screen electrodes may be formed froman array of indium tin oxide pads or other transparent conductivestructures.

Display 14 may include an array of display pixels formed from liquidcrystal display (LCD) components, an array of electrophoretic displaypixels, an array of plasma display pixels, an array of organiclight-emitting diode display pixels, an array of electrowetting displaypixels, or display pixels based on other display technologies.

Display 14 may be protected using a display cover layer such as a layerof transparent glass, clear plastic, sapphire, or other transparentdielectric. Openings may be formed in the display cover layer. Forexample, an opening may be formed in the display cover layer toaccommodate a button such as button 16. An opening may also be formed inthe display cover layer to accommodate ports such as a speaker port.Openings may be formed in housing 12 to form communications ports (e.g.,an audio jack port, a digital data port, etc.). Openings in housing 12may also be formed for audio components such as a speaker and/or amicrophone.

Antennas may be mounted in housing 12. To avoid disruptingcommunications when an external object such as a human hand or otherbody part of a user blocks one or more antennas, antennas may be mountedat multiple locations in housing 12. Sensor data such as proximitysensor data, real-time antenna impedance measurements, signal qualitymeasurements such as received signal strength information, and otherdata may be used in determining when an antenna (or set of antennas) isbeing adversely affected due to the orientation of housing 12, blockageby a user's hand or other external object, or other environmentalfactors. Device 10 can then switch an antenna (or set of antennas) intouse in place of the antennas that are being adversely affected.

Antennas may be mounted along the peripheral edges of housing 12, on therear of housing 12, under the display cover glass or other dielectricdisplay cover layer that is used in covering and protecting display 14on the front of device 10, under a dielectric window on a rear face ofhousing 12 or the edge of housing 12, or elsewhere in device 10.

A schematic diagram showing illustrative components that may be used indevice 10 is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, device 10 may includecontrol circuitry such as storage and processing circuitry 30. Storageand processing circuitry 30 may include storage such as hard disk drivestorage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or otherelectrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solidstate drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamicrandom-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in storage andprocessing circuitry 30 may be used to control the operation of device10. This processing circuitry may be based on one or moremicroprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, basebandprocessor integrated circuits, application specific integrated circuits,etc.

Storage and processing circuitry 30 may be used to run software ondevice 10, such as internet browsing applications,voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) telephone call applications, emailapplications, media playback applications, operating system functions,etc. To support interactions with external equipment, storage andprocessing circuitry 30 may be used in implementing communicationsprotocols. Communications protocols that may be implemented usingstorage and processing circuitry 30 include internet protocols, wirelesslocal area network protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11 protocols—sometimesreferred to as WiFi®), protocols for other short-range wirelesscommunications links such as the Bluetooth® protocol, cellular telephoneprotocols, MIMO protocols, antenna diversity protocols, satellitenavigation system protocols, etc.

Device 10 may include input-output circuitry 44. Input-output circuitry44 may include input-output devices 32. Input-output devices 32 may beused to allow data to be supplied to device 10 and to allow data to beprovided from device 10 to external devices. Input-output devices 32 mayinclude user interface devices, data port devices, and otherinput-output components. For example, input-output devices may includetouch screens, displays without touch sensor capabilities, buttons,joysticks, scrolling wheels, touch pads, key pads, keyboards,microphones, cameras, speakers, status indicators, light sources, audiojacks and other audio port components, digital data port devices, lightsensors, accelerometers or other components that can detect motion anddevice orientation relative to the Earth, capacitance sensors, proximitysensors (e.g., a capacitive proximity sensor and/or an infraredproximity sensor), magnetic sensors, a connector port sensor or othersensor that determines whether device 10 is mounted in a dock, and othersensors and input-output components.

Input-output circuitry 44 may include wireless communications circuitry34 for communicating wirelessly with external equipment. Wirelesscommunications circuitry 34 may include radio-frequency (RF) transceivercircuitry formed from one or more integrated circuits, power amplifiercircuitry, low-noise input amplifiers, passive RF components, one ormore antennas 40, transmission lines, and other circuitry for handlingRF wireless signals. Wireless signals can also be sent using light(e.g., using infrared communications).

Wireless communications circuitry 34 may include radio-frequencytransceiver circuitry 90 for handling various radio-frequencycommunications bands. For example, circuitry 34 may include transceivercircuitry 36, 38, 42, and 46.

Transceiver circuitry 36 may be wireless local area network transceivercircuitry that may handle 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for WiFi® (IEEE802.11) communications and that may handle the 2.4 GHz Bluetooth®communications band.

Circuitry 34 may use cellular telephone transceiver circuitry 38 forhandling wireless communications in frequency ranges such as a lowcommunications band from 700 to 960 MHz, a midband from 1710 to 2170MHz, and a high band from 2300 to 2700 MHz or other communications bandsbetween 700 MHz and 2700 MHz or other suitable frequencies (asexamples). Circuitry 38 may handle voice data and non-voice data.

Millimeter wave transceiver circuitry 46 may support communications atextremely high frequencies (e.g., millimeter wave frequencies from 10GHz to 400 GHz or other millimeter wave frequencies).

Wireless communications circuitry 34 may include satellite navigationsystem circuitry such as Global Positioning System (GPS) receivercircuitry 42 for receiving GPS signals at 1575 MHz or for handling othersatellite positioning data (e.g., GLONASS signals at 1609 MHz).Satellite navigation system signals for receiver 42 are received from aconstellation of satellites orbiting the earth.

In satellite navigation system links, cellular telephone links, andother long-range links, wireless signals are typically used to conveydata over thousands of feet or miles. In WiFi® and Bluetooth® links andother short-range wireless links, wireless signals are typically used toconvey data over tens or hundreds of feet. Extremely high frequency(EHF) wireless transceiver circuitry 46 may convey signals over theseover these short distances that travel between transmitter and receiverover a line-of-sight path. To enhance signal reception for millimeterwave communications, phased antenna arrays and beam steering techniquesmay be used. Antenna diversity schemes may also be used to ensure thatthe antennas that have become blocked or that are otherwise degraded dueto the operating environment of device 10 can be switched out of use andhigher-performing antennas used in their place.

Wireless communications circuitry 34 can include circuitry for othershort-range and long-range wireless links if desired. For example,wireless communications circuitry 34 may include circuitry for receivingtelevision and radio signals, paging system transceivers, near fieldcommunications (NFC) circuitry, etc.

Antennas 40 in wireless communications circuitry 34 may be formed usingany suitable antenna types. For example, antennas 40 may includeantennas with resonating elements that are formed from loop antennastructures, patch antenna structures, inverted-F antenna structures,slot antenna structures, planar inverted-F antenna structures, helicalantenna structures, hybrids of these designs, etc. If desired, one ormore of antennas 40 may be cavity-backed antennas. Different types ofantennas may be used for different bands and combinations of bands. Forexample, one type of antenna may be used in forming a local wirelesslink antenna and another type of antenna may be used in forming a remotewireless link antenna. Dedicated antennas may be used for receivingsatellite navigation system signals or, if desired, antennas 40 can beconfigured to receive both satellite navigation system signals andsignals for other communications bands (e.g., wireless local areanetwork signals and/or cellular telephone signals). Antennas 40 caninclude phased antenna arrays for handling millimeter wavecommunications.

Transmission line paths may be used to route antenna signals withindevice 10. For example, transmission line paths may be used to coupleantenna structures 40 to transceiver circuitry 90. Transmission lines indevice 10 may include coaxial cable paths, microstrip transmissionlines, stripline transmission lines, edge-coupled microstriptransmission lines, edge-coupled stripline transmission lines,transmission lines formed from combinations of transmission lines ofthese types, etc. Filter circuitry, switching circuitry, impedancematching circuitry, and other circuitry may be interposed within thetransmission lines, if desired.

Device 10 may contain multiple antennas 40. The antennas may be usedtogether or one of the antennas may be switched into use while otherantenna(s) are switched out of use. If desired, control circuitry 30 maybe used to select an optimum antenna to use in device 10 in real timeand/or to select an optimum setting for adjustable wireless circuitryassociated with one or more of antennas 40. Antenna adjustments may bemade to tune antennas to perform in desired frequency ranges, to performbeam steering with a phased antenna array, and to otherwise optimizeantenna performance. Sensors may be incorporated into antennas 40 togather sensor data in real time that is used in adjusting antennas 40.

In some configurations, antennas 40 may include antenna arrays (e.g.,phased antenna arrays to implement beam steering functions). Forexample, the antennas that are used in handling millimeter wave signalsfor extremely high frequency wireless transceiver circuits 46 may beimplemented as phased antenna arrays. The radiating elements in a phasedantenna array for supporting millimeter wave communications may be patchantennas, dipole antennas, or other suitable antenna elements.Transceiver circuitry can be integrated with the phased antenna arraysto form integrated phased antenna array and transceiver circuit modules.

In devices such as handheld devices, the presence of an external objectsuch as the hand of a user or a table or other surface on which a deviceis resting has a potential to block wireless signals such as millimeterwave signals. Accordingly, it may be desirable to incorporate multiplephased antenna arrays into device 10, each of which is placed in adifferent location within device 10. With this type of arrangement, anunblocked phased antenna array may be switched into use and, onceswitched into use, the phased antenna array may use beam steering tooptimize wireless performance. Configurations in which antennas from oneor more different locations in device 10 are operated together may alsobe used (e.g., to form a phased antenna array, etc.).

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of electronic device showing illustrativelocations 50 in which antennas 40 (e.g., single antennas and/or phasedantenna arrays for use with wireless circuitry 34 such as millimeterwave wireless transceiver circuitry 46) may be mounted in device 10. Asshown in FIG. 3, antennas 40 may be mounted at the corners of device 10,along the edges of housing 12 such as edge 12E, on the upper and lowerportions of rear housing portion 12R, in the center of rear housing 12(e.g., under a dielectric window structure such as plastic logo 52),etc. In configurations in which housing 12 is formed from a dielectric,antennas 40 may transmit and receive antenna signals through thedielectric. In configurations in which housing 12 is formed from aconductive material such as metal, slots or other openings may be formedin the metal that are filled with plastic or other dielectric. Antennas40 may be mounted in alignment with the dielectric (i.e., the dielectricin housing 12 may serve as one or more antenna windows for antennas 40).

In devices with multiple phased antenna arrays, signal paths such aspaths 100 of FIG. 4 (e.g., transmission lines) may be used to distributemillimeter wave signals to antennas 40. In the example of FIG. 4,wireless transceiver 46 may be used to transmit and receive millimeterwave signals (i.e., radio-frequency signals at RF frequencies such as 60GHz). Paths 100 may be used to distribute these radio-frequency signalsto antenna arrays such as phased antenna arrays 40A and 40B. Gain andphase adjustment circuitry 106 may be used to adjust the signalsassociated with each antenna 40 in array 40A and to adjust the signalsassociated with each antenna 40 in array 40B. As shown by theillustrative configuration of array 40B in FIG. 4, paths 100 may includemultiple parallel paths 100 each of which is connected between arespective transceiver 46 and a respective antenna 40 in phased antennaarray 40B. Gain and phase adjustment circuits 106 may be used toindividually adjust the signals associated with each antenna 40 in array40B (e.g., to perform beam steering). If desired, RF signals (e.g., 60GHz signals) may be distributed to coupler (splitter 102) in a phasedantenna array such as phased antenna array 40A via a single one of paths100 and distributed by coupler 102 to respective circuits 106 andantennas 40 in phased antenna array 40A. Received signals may besupplied to path 100 via circuits 106 and coupler 102.

At high RF frequencies (e.g. at 60 GHz or other millimeter wavefrequencies), signals can be attenuated on the paths between transceivercircuitry 46 and antennas 40 more strongly than at lower RF frequencies.To help minimize attenuation, it may be desirable to distribute antennasignals within device 10 at intermediate frequencies (IF). Theintermediate frequency signals IF in device 10 may, as an example, besignals at 5-15 GHz, whereas the radio-frequency (RF) signals in device10 may have higher frequencies such as 60 GHz or other millimeter wavefrequencies. Internal distribution path attenuation will generally belower at intermediate frequencies IF than at radio frequencies RF, whichmay allow the antenna arrays in device 10 to be located farther apartwithout introducing excessive signal path attenuation.

An illustrative configuration for device 10 in which signals aredistributed at intermediate frequencies is shown in FIG. 5. As shown inFIG. 5, each antenna 40 (e.g., each phased antenna array) in device 10may be provided with circuitry 46B. Circuitry 46B may includeradio-frequency transceiver circuitry (e.g., 60 GHz transceivercircuitry) with upconversion and downconversion capabilities. Each blockof circuitry 46B of FIG. 5 may, for example, include an upconverter thatupconverts IF signals from baseband processor 46A on an associated oneof IF paths 108 to RF signals (e.g., signals at 60 GHz). These RFsignals may then be provided to antennas 40 (e.g., phased antennaarrays) via one of RF signal paths 100 and transmitted over the air to aremote millimeter wave receiver. RF signals that are received by eachphased antenna array may be supplied to circuitry 46B via a respectivepath 100. A downconverter in circuitry 46B may then downconvert thereceived RF signal to an IF signal. An associated one of IF signal paths108 may be used to convey the IF signal to baseband processor 46A.

An illustrative circuit diagram for a phased antenna array for device 10is shown in FIG. 6. In the example of FIG. 6, the phased antenna arrayhas been formed from an array of antennas (antenna elements) 40.Intermediate frequency signals IF may be conveyed to the phased antennaarray over intermediate frequency path IF. Coupler (splitter) 110 mayprovide the IF signals to respective transceiver circuits 46B. Anupconverter in each transceiver circuit 46B may upconvert the IF signalto a corresponding RF signal that is provided to a respective antennaelement 40 to transmit wirelessly. Each antenna element 40 may beassociated with a respective adjustable circuit 112. Each adjustablecircuit 112 may include an adjustable gain output amplifier and anadjustable phase shifter for controlling the RF signals supplied fromcircuit 46B to antenna 40.

Another illustrative arrangement for distributing IF signals to a phasedantenna array is shown in FIG. 7. The phased antenna array of FIG. 7includes an array of antennas 40 each of which is coupled to anassociated adjustable circuit 112 (e.g., an adjustable gain amplifierand adjustable phase shifter). Intermediate frequency signals IF may bedistributed to transceiver circuits 46B using respective parallelintermediate frequency signal paths 108.

In the example of FIG. 8, wireless signals (e.g., IF signals) are beingdistributed using a series of IF signal paths 108 that are coupled in aring. Each node of the ring has one of circuits 114. Circuits 114 mayeach include RF transceiver circuitry for transmitting and receivingsignals via an associated one of phased antenna arrays 40. Each circuit114 may include a splitter that splits an incoming IF signal into anoutgoing IF signal and a tapped IF signal. An upconverter in eachcircuit 114 may be used to locally upconvert the tapped IF signal inthat circuit 114 so that the signal can be transmitted via the antennaarray 40 that is coupled to that circuit. Incoming RF signals that havebeen received by each antenna array 40 may be received by the RFtransceiver circuitry in an associated circuit 114 and downconverted tocorresponding IF signals by a downconverter in that circuit 114. Signalspaths 108 may be coupled between respective circuits 114 to form aring-shaped distribution path for IF signals in device 10. If desired,RF signals (e.g., 60 GHz signals) may be distributed using a ring-shapedarrangement of this type. The illustrative configuration of FIG. 8 inwhich the ring formed from paths 108 is used to distribute IF signals ismerely illustrative.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an illustrative phased antenna array ofthe type that may be used for handling millimeter wave signals (e.g., 60GHz signals) in device 10. In the configuration of FIG. 9, phasedantenna array 40 includes multiple antenna elements 40′ (e.g., patchantenna elements). There may be, for example, a square array of fourelements 40′ on the front face of antenna array 40 and a square array offour elements 40′ on the opposing rear face of antenna array 40. The useof a phased array of elements such as elements 40′ allows theradio-frequency signals of antenna array 40 to be steered using beamsteering techniques. Elements 40′ may be formed from metal traces ondielectric substrate layers 118 (e.g., rigid printed circuit boardmaterial, ceramic, plastic, glass, or other dielectric). Metal groundlayer 116 may be interposed between layers 118 and may serve as a signalreflector. Electrical components 122 (e.g., transceiver circuitry suchas circuitry 46B, circuitry 114, etc.) may be mounted on substrate 120.Substrate 120 may be integrated with the other components of array 40.For example substrate 120 may be an extended portion of one or both oflayers 118 or may be attached to layers 118 to form an integratedtransceiver and antenna array module.

A cross-sectional side view of phased antenna array 40 of FIG. 9 isshown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 10, antenna elements 40′ may belocated on opposing sides of ground layer 116. The thickness of layers118 may be selected to space elements 40′ on one side of layers 118 by ahalf of a wavelength from the elements 40′ on the other side of layers118. During operation, only the elements 40′ on a first side of array 40may be used (e.g., the left side of layers 118 in the orientation ofFIG. 10), so that antenna signals may be transmitted in direction 126,only elements 40′ on the opposing side of array 40 may be used, so thatantenna signals may be transmitted in direction 124, or the elements 40′on both sides of layers 118 may be used (e.g., to simultaneously handleantenna signals on both sides of layers 118).

If desired, components such as components 122 may be mounted within acavity formed between two sandwiched substrates 118, as shown in FIG.11. With this type of arrangement, layers 118 may be attached to eachother using dielectric layers 118′, thereby forming a system-in-packagestructure that incorporates both antenna circuitry 122 (e.g.,transceiver circuitry 46B, circuits 114, etc.) and antenna elements 40′.Two ground (reflector) layers 116A and 116B may be provided in this typeof configuration to help shield components 122 from radio-frequencyantenna signals that are being handled by antenna elements 40′ on theopposing outer surfaces of array 40.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of device 10 nearone of the corners of housing 12 showing how a phased antenna array suchas array 40 of FIGS. 9 and 10 or array 40 of FIG. 11 (e.g., phasedantenna array and transceiver modules) may be mounted within device 10.As shown in the illustrative configuration of FIG. 12, antenna array 40may be mounted so that elements 40′ on the top side of array 40 transmitand receive antenna signals 128 through display cover layer 132 (i.e., aglass layer, plastic layer, or other protective dielectric layer fordisplay 14). Elements 40′ on the lower side of array 40 may transmit andreceive antenna signals 130 through dielectric layer 12′. Layer 12′ maybe a housing portion such as a dielectric antenna window formed withinan opening in a metal housing 12 (as an example).

As shown in the top view of antenna array 40 in the illustrativearrangement of FIG. 13, antenna array 40 may include a ring-shapedground reflector such as ground reflector 116′. Dipole antenna elements40′ may protrude through openings in ground ring 116′. In aconfiguration in which antenna array 40 is mounted in a corner of device10, two of the edges of antenna array 40 may be adjacent to tworespective edges 12E of housing 12. Antenna windows may be formed onthese edges (e.g., plastic windows formed in openings in a metalhousing). Antenna array 40 may have dipole elements 40′ that run alongeach of these two edges. If desired patch antenna elements (see, e.g.,elements 40′ of FIGS. 9, 10, and 11) may be included on an antenna arrayin addition to dipole elements of the type shown in FIG. 13.

The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can bemade by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope andspirit of the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may beimplemented individually or in any combination.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a housing; adisplay mounted to the housing; a first phased antenna array at a firstlocation in the housing; a second phased antenna array at a secondlocation in the housing; and control circuitry configured to: determinewhether the first phased antenna array is being blocked by an externalobject, and responsive to determining that the first phased antennaarray is being blocked by the external object, switch the second phasedantenna array into use.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein thecontrol circuitry is further configured to: responsive to determiningthat the first phased antenna array is being blocked by the externalobject, switch the first phased antenna array out of use.
 3. Theelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising: transceiver circuitrycoupled to the first and second phased antenna arrays and configured totransmit radio-frequency signals at a frequency greater than 10 GHzusing the first and second phased antenna arrays.
 4. The electronicdevice of claim 3, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured toreceive radio-frequency signals at the frequency greater than 10 GHzusing the first and second phased antenna arrays.
 5. The electronicdevice of claim 4, further comprising: a printed circuit boardsubstrate, wherein the transceiver circuitry and the first phasedantenna array are mounted to the printed circuit board substrate.
 6. Theelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising: sensor circuitryconfigured to gather sensor data indicative of whether the first phasedantenna array is being blocked by the external object, wherein thecontrol circuitry is configured to determine whether the first phasedantenna array is being blocked by the external object based on thesensor data gathered by the sensor circuitry.
 7. The electronic deviceof claim 5, wherein the sensor data comprises sensor data selected fromthe group consisting of: proximity sensor data, antenna impedancemeasurements, and signal quality measurements.
 8. The electronic deviceof claim 1, further comprising: baseband processor circuitry configuredto produce intermediate frequency signals; first transceiver circuitrycoupled to the baseband processor circuitry and configured to transmitradio-frequency signals corresponding to the intermediate frequencysignals using the first phased antenna array; and second transceivercircuitry coupled to the baseband processor circuitry and configured totransmit radio-frequency signals corresponding to the intermediatefrequency signals using the second phased antenna array, wherein theradio-frequency signals transmitted by the first and second transceivercircuitry are at a frequency greater than 10 GHz.
 9. The electronicdevice of claim 8, wherein the first transceiver circuitry is configuredto receive radio-frequency signals at the frequency greater than 10 GHzusing the first phased antenna array and the second transceivercircuitry is configured to receive radio-frequency signals at thefrequency greater than 10 GHz using the second phased antenna array. 10.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises adielectric housing wall and the first and second phased antenna arraysare configured to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals at afrequency greater than 10 GHz through the dielectric housing wall. 11.The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the dielectric housing wallopposes the display.
 12. An electronic device comprising: a dielectrichousing wall; a dielectric layer; a set of antennas on the dielectriclayer; transceiver circuitry on the dielectric layer and coupled to theset of antennas, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured toreceive, through the dielectric housing wall, radio-frequency signals ata frequency greater than 10 GHz using the set of antennas; and controlcircuitry configured to perform beam steering operations using the setof antennas.
 13. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising:an additional dielectric layer; and an additional set of antennas on theadditional dielectric layer, wherein the control circuitry is configuredto perform beam steering operations using the additional set ofantennas.
 14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the transceivercircuitry is coupled to the additional set of antennas and is configuredto receive additional radio-frequency signals at the frequency greaterthan 10 GHz using the additional set of antennas, the electronic devicefurther comprising: a baseband processor coupled to the transceivercircuitry via a transmission line path, wherein the baseband processoris configured to receive, from the transceiver circuitry and via thetransmission line path, intermediate signals corresponding to theradio-frequency signals and the additional radio-frequency signals. 15.The electronic device of claim 13, further comprising: additionaltransceiver circuitry coupled to the additional set of antennas andconfigured to receive additional radio-frequency signals at thefrequency greater than 10 GHz using the additional set of antennas, theelectronic device further comprising: a baseband processor coupled tothe transceiver circuitry via a first transmission line path and coupledto the additional transceiver circuitry via a second transmission linepath, wherein the baseband processor is configured to receive, from thetransceiver circuitry and via the first transmission line path, firstintermediate signals corresponding to the radio-frequency signals, thebaseband processor being further configured to receive, from theadditional transceiver circuitry and via the second transmission linepath, second intermediate signals corresponding to the additionalradio-frequency signals.
 16. The electronic device of claim 12, whereinthe transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit, through thedielectric housing wall, radio-frequency signals at the frequencygreater than 10 GHz using the first set of antennas.
 17. An electronicdevice comprising: a housing having first and second edges; a displaymounted to the housing; a dielectric substrate layer; a ground reflectoron the dielectric substrate layer; a first dipole antenna element on thedielectric substrate layer, wherein at least some of the first dipoleantenna element is laterally interposed between the ground reflector andthe first edge of the housing; and a second dipole antenna element onthe dielectric substrate layer, wherein at least some of the seconddipole antenna element is laterally interposed between the groundreflector and the second edge of the housing.
 18. The electronic deviceof claim 17, further comprising: transceiver circuitry configured toreceive radio-frequency signals at a frequency greater than 10 GHz usingthe first and second dipole antenna elements.
 19. The electronic deviceof claim 18, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to transmitradio-frequency signals at the frequency greater than 10 GHz using thefirst and second dipole antenna elements.
 20. The electronic device ofclaim 17, further comprising: a phased antenna array that comprises thefirst and second dipole antenna elements; and control circuitryconfigured to perform beam steering operations using the phased antennaarray.